Lap-winding machine



July 14, 1925. 1,545,945

F. L. cRocKr-:TT

LAP WINDING MACHINE Filed Jan. 16, 1923 14 48 13 Y I EA/TOR By ac M7 MPatented July 14, '1925.

A UNITED VSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

' 'I FRANK vL. CROCKETT, OF W-HITINSVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOB TOWHITIN MACHINE WORKS, OF WHITINSV'ILLE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF.MASSACHUSETTS.

LAP-wiINDING MACHINE.

Application led January 16, 1922i. Serial No. 612,884.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK L. CRooKE'r'r, of Whitinsville, 'Massachusettsa United States citizen, have invented the following describedImprovements in Lap-Winding Machines.

The invention relates to machines for winding up strip-form materialsinto compact rolls, being hereinexernplilied in a l0 cotton lap headwhich is adapted to roll up a lap of cotton fibres on a spool or core,

so as to be suited for supplying other machines. The object of theinvention is to control the return of the roll guiding and pressureproducing mechanism back to its initial posit-ion after the fullroll'has been v removed, so that such return may be made quickly andquietly without danger to the machine or to the operator.

panying sheet of drawings, Figure 1 represents a partial verticalsection of a cotton lap head of generally familiar design incorporatingthe invention and Figure 2 a cross-section thereof on line II-II of Fig.1.

The lap or strip of material to be wound into roll form is delivered, bythe pairs of v calender or delivery rolls 1, into the crotch between thetwo adjacent, parallel winding cylinders, marked 2, wherein itis woundon the spool or wooden core 3 rest-ing in the crotch. The windingcylinders 2 are rotated by appropriate gearing,

" not shown, in the same direction and thereby rotate the core and rollthe lap up upon movable spindle engaged by its opposite ends incross-head slippers 5 which are guided for vertical movement in the waysy 6, so that as the roll of lap grows in diameter,

as the result of the winding, the spindle and cross head structure willbe lifted thereby toward the upper ends of the ways. The specificconstruction of the winding means is of no consequence to this inventionand may, therefore, be designed according to conditions. In the case ofmany materials, for instance cotton, it is desirable to restrain theupward movement of the roll carrier mechanism so as to ress the rollupon the winding cylinders 1n addition to the gravitational pressure dueto the weight of the parts. For this purpose a rack bar, or a pair ofracks 7, is connected to the cross head structure' or to any convenientpart of vto a cross rod `fixed in the machineframe In the accom- Thecore is mounted on an endwise rethe roll carrier mechanism and the rackteeth mesh with the pinions 8 on a shaft 9 which carries fast thereon abrake drum 10. The brake shoe 11 for the brake drum is pivoted andconnected at its opposite end with the welghted end of a lever or foottreadle 13, so that the weight 14 thereon causes the brake shoe to bepressed against the drum, In consequence of this braking frictionapplled to the ascent of the roll carrier, the pressure of the roll onthe cylinders is very considerable and the lap isrolled very tightly onthe carrier, The racks, pinions and brake shaft r resent only one ofseveral forms of possible mechanical connections whereby an appropriaterestraint can be imposed on the increase of diameter of the roll whensuch additional restraint is considered necessary. When the roll hasacqulred 1ts requisite diameter the roll spindle 4 is withdrawn endwisefrom the carrier mechanism and the roll is lifted out, leaving thecarrier mechanism held in its elevated position, by reason of the brake.It must then be returned or lowered to its initial position before thenext roll may be started, and "for this purpose it has heretofore beenthe practice torelease the brake and lower the mechanism by hand, bymeans of the hand wheel 15 on the end of the brake shaft. With his handthe operator retarded the rotation of the wheel while using the treadleto relieve the braking friction. As the carrier mechanism hasconsiderable weight this operation had to be performed cautiously, elsethe too sudden descent was likely to result in injury.

According to this invention the descent of the carrier mechanism isautomatically controlled, so that on the release of the brake it dropsquickly but gently to its lower position. For thls purpose the brakeshoe is connected to the weighted treadle lever 13 by means of a headedrod or bolt 16, a shackle 17 and a 100 spring 18, which parts are soarranged that the gravity/of the weight 14: is positively transmitted tothe brake shoe 11, but the opposite or brake-releasing movement of thetreadle is imparted to the brake shoe only through the'yieldingconnection afforded by the spring. By this arrangement it will beapparent that the brake shoe can be applied to the drum independently ofthe position of the treadle or operating lever, and it is arranged to beso'applied, in the present case, by the roll carrier mechanism itselfand preferably by means of a yielding connection therewith. *or example,and preferably, such connection comprises a yoke 19 connected to thecross head structure 5 and to 'a plunger 20 working in a dash potcylinder applies the brake which in turn modulates the descent of thecarrier, through the pinions 8 and racks 7, with the result that thedescent takes place quietly and with a safe deceleration and theoperator is not required to touch the hand wheel 15. The use of abrake-operating connection which includes an air cushion or an air dashpot is preferred because its operation can be easily correlated to theother parts to bring about a return of the cro-sshead structure at anydesired rate, and because it is available to cushion the descent even onthe failure of the brake or in the event that such brake is not employedfor controlling the descent, and it will be apparent that any kind ofdash pot can be employed with the same general effect.

It will be understood from the foregoing disclosure that theconstruction particularly described and shown in the drawing representsonly one of the embodiments of which the princlple of the invention iscapable and that the same can be applied, in a. variety of differentways, without sacrificing the benefits of the invent-ion ordepartingfrom the scope of the following claims:

1. In a lap-Winding machine, a rollcarrier vertically elevated by theincreasing diameter of the` roll, a brake, means for releasing thecarrier and means associated with said releasing means for automaticallymodulating its descent.

2. In a lap-winding machine, a roll-' carrier moved by the increasingdiameter of the roll, a brake adapted to control return of the carrierand means whereby the returning carrier controls the brake.

3. In a lap-winding machine, a roll carrier, a brake and yielding meanswhereby the returning carrier controls the brake.

4. In a lap-winding machine, a roll carrier, a brake adapted to restrainmovement of the carrier in both directions, and a. brake-operatingconnection between said carrier and brake.

.5. In a lap-winding machine a roll carrler raised by the increasingdiameter of the roll, a brake for the descent. of said carrier and adash pot connection whereby the carrier controls the brake.

6. In a lap-winding machine, a roll carrier raised by the increasingdiameter of the roll, a brake for the ascent of said earrier, a brakinglever normally urged in a direction to apply the brake, and means forapplying the brake independently of said lever to control the descent ofsaid carrier.

7. In a lap-winding machine, a roll carrier raised by the increasingdiameter of the roll, a carrier brake comprising a drum and shoe, and abraking lever connected to said shoe to move it positively in. onedirection and yielding in the other direction.

8. In a lap-Winding machine, a roll carrier raised by the increasingdiameter of the roll, a brake drum and shoe for applying resistance tothe ascent of the carrier, means connected to said shoe for controllingsaid resistance, and a connection whereby the descent of the carriercontrols the shoe independently of said means.

9. In a lap-winding machine, a roll car-` rier raised by the increasingdiameter of the roll, a brake for the ascent of said carrier, a brakinglever normally urged in a direction to apply the brake, and a dash potcontrolling the descent of said carrier.

10. In a lap-winding machine, a roll car-l rier raised by the increasingdiameter of the roll, a carrier brake comprising a drum and shoe, meansconnected to said shoe to move it 'positively in one direction andyieldingly, in the other direction, and a cushioned connection betweensaid carrier and brake shoe.

11. In a lap-winding machine, a roll carrier raised by the increasingdiameter of the roll, a brake applying resistance to the ascent of thecarrier, means for controlling said resistance, and a yieldingconnection whereby the carrier controls the brake independently of saidmeans. y

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification.

FRANK L. CROCKETT.

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